Tate Gallery: Drawing From Turner until 22 April 2007

Currently on show at the Tate Britain, the exhibition Drawing from Turner, according to the website, "aims to improve understanding of the process of learning to draw by making drawings from fine examples." However, on further reading of the notes, I'm not sure that it is so much about the process of learning to draw, as of the process of drawing in itself.
As the exhibition notes rightly point out, the hand of the artist is more evident in drawing than in any other medium. By following the hand and mind of JMW Turner through his drawings, the artists might discover something about Turner, and perhaps about their own approach to drawing.
I'm not entirely sure how far this discovery might go, without Turner's subjects before them - how could they know what decisions Turner made about the subject, about the light and shadow, the compositional elements, for instance? They can follow his hand, but not his eye. It is fascinating collection of images though, and worthwhile to see each artist's different viewpoint. I'm limited to the online exhibition, but UK readers can make their own assessment from the real thing at the Tate until 22 April 2007.

J. M. W. Turner Biography
Learn Old Master Drawing
Charles Bargue Drawing Course - Book Review